The Flight
by wordonthestreet2006
Summary: A story using all the episode titles from Season one.


The Flight

"**The pilot **said we'd be landing soon Starsk' stop worrying." Hutch said looking at his anxious partner.

"I'm not worrying Hutch. I'm terrified!" Starsky looked visibly frightened and Hutch had never seen him this nervous on any flight before.

"Starsky." He said, laying his hand on Starsky's arm, "We'll soon be on the ground and you'll laugh at this" and on seeing Starsky's face, "really, you will!"

"I don't know Hutch, it's been a **savage Sunday** all round. First the cab to the airport broke down, then we couldn't find our passports and now this turbulence is killing me."

"Starsky why don't I get the stewardess to make you a drink, maybe it'll help you relax a little. Huh?"

"Okay. Maybe I could do with a drink. Hey!" Starsky brightened, "Get me one of those cocktails eh, you know the one from Texas…"  
"The **Texas Longhorn**" Hutch interrupted

"Yeah that's the one, I should could do with one." Starsky laughed nervously

With his drink all gone, Starsky seemed more relaxed. It certainly appeared to be **the fix** he needed. _Just a little alcohol_ Hutch thought _and he's better already._ In fact Starsky was feeling so much better that he fell asleep. Hutch decided to read for the last hour of their journey into Florida. He asked the stewardess for a magazine. Hutch had noticed that she was wearing one of his favourite perfumes, he remembered that Gillian used to wear the same scent. And yet he felt sad. Her knowing Hutch had been a **death notice**. From the minute they fell in love, her fate was sealed. No way was a scum bag like Grossman going to allow her the freedom to marry a cop and Hutch would have married her. Grossman was a **pariah**, a social outcast who lived in his mother's shadow. It made Hutch shudder to think of him.

The stewardess arrived with a magazine, it was all about fishing. Hutch laughed as she handed it to him. It reminded him of when he and Starsky had gone up to Pine Lake. Oh sure there was some spooky stuff that went on but Hutch laughed at the thought of Starsky in that silly hat. He looked across as his sleeping partner and smiled.

Thanking the stewardess he began to browse through the book. He had just reached page six when he saw, in big red letters, STARSKY HUTCHINSON WE ARE GOING TO **KILL HUGGY BEAR**. Hutch looked around. He couldn't see anyone watching him. He glanced at the page again, in smaller writing, also in red he saw, He is only **the bait**, we want to reel you in. Both of you. But be certain, Huggy Bear will die tonight. Hutch didn't know what to do. He and Starsky were on a flight to Orlando for a two week vacation in Universal Resort. He had to get a message to Captain Dobey and to Huggy Bear.

Not wanting to alarm Starsky he decided to try and speak to the Captain. He called the stewardess again. "Hi," She smiled. "Are you deliberately finding ways to get my attention" she giggled. Hutch smelled the aroma of her perfume and was taken in by her, momentarily. Shaking his head he grabbed her arm, "Hey!" she began "Look here **lady blue**" he snapped, in reference to her blue uniform, "I don't know what your game is but you need to take me to the Captain, now!" he barked. "The CCCCCaptain." She stammered, fearing the plane was about to be hijacked. "I..I…I nobody can have access to the Captain." She had to do her job, so tried to remain composed but Hutch could feel she was shaking. Releasing his grip he realised she wasn't to blame, unless she was a very good actress. "I'm sorry" he said. "I'm a Bay City Police Officer" he brought out his badge, "I have to speak with the Captain now, as a matter of urgency."

"I'll see what I can do" she said and hurried away briskly.

Hutch decided he had no choice but to wake Starsky. "Starsk', hey Starsk'" he said as he shook Starsky awake.

"What the…."Starsky blinked and finally saw Hutch come into focus. "We there already." He yawned.

"No Starsky, we need to talk."

"Hutch for the love of….you woke me up coz you wanna talk, what the…."  
"Starsky listen to me!" Hutch snapped

Starsky drew back, "woaw partner, okay so talk."

Hutch showed Starsky the magazine. "Okay so it's a magazine" Starsky responded.

"Open it." Ordered Hutch

"Open it?"

"Yeah just open it!"

"Okay, I'll open it." Starsky muttered to himself. "I've opened it, now what?" Starsky asked

"What page are you on?"

"Huh"

"What page, Starsky what page?" Hutch snapped irritated.

"Uh, page six."

"And?"

"And what?

"What do you see?"

"Hutch is this a joke, did you wake me up just for me to read some stupid car ads. And what's this about anyway…fishing! You woke me up to teach me about fishing!"

"You don't see anything, no big red letters?" Hutch grabbed the magazine from Starsky. "I was sure it was page six, here let me see." Hutch looked and saw there was nothing but the usual magazine rubbish on page six. He turned the page, nothing, and again, nothing. Finally on page twelve he saw a picture of a man with a noose around his neck, drawn in red ink, cartoon style. Across the bottom was printed CAPTAIN DONEY….YOU'RE DEAD! Hutch visibly paled. "Hutch?" Asked Starsky when he saw his partners face.

Hutch thrust the magazine at Starsky. He looked at and saw nothing. "Hutch? What's wrong?

"You don't see it?"

"See what? Hutch what is it I'm supposed to be seeing?"

"Starsky tell me what you see on the page"

Starsky decided to humour his partner. He wasn't sure if it was a joke or not. The whole situation was bizarre and yet Hutch looked so scared. There was a sense of urgency in his demands that made Starsky think that the whole thing was actually really serious.

"Okay start of page twelvc, I see a headline, **Terror On The Docks**, it's about some old guy who thinks he saw a great white shark off pier 17, personally I think it was probably a **Deadly Imposter**, it was probably a dolphin!" Starsky laughed. Hutch just glared at him, "Okay, okay…" Starsky conceded. "There's another headline about a **shootout** in one of the local fisherman's taverns, hey I didn't' hear about that one, oh it's old news, happened over twenty years ago. Hey you know Hutch this magazine aint half bad"

"Starsky!"

"Okay more stories about **Hostages** being taken after the fishing industry went on strike. Some big cat in one of them companies on the docks.Wow being a fisherman sure seems to put you on a **losing streak** in Bay City!" Starsky laughed again. "All right Hutch enough now. I'm bored with this, you tell me what is it I am meant to be seeing?" Starsky asked

"I told you Starsky, red lettering. Dobey, Huggy I think they may be in danger." Hutch said

"Danger? What kind of danger?"

**Silence**, Hutch was thinking, _where is that stewardess?_

"Hutch?" Starsky urged

"Where's the stewardess?" Hutch asked

"What?"

"The stewardess, where is she? I sent her to get the Captain before I woke you. She should be back by now." Hutch rose from his seat. Starsky tugged at him. "Hey slow down partner. If what you're saying and all this is true, weird but true, then we need to get word to the Captain and fast."

Just then the in flight entertainment started. Starsky and Hutch looked at each other, "That's weird" they said, in unison. "We land in less than an hour…" Starsky began, "Wy would they start the entertainment now, when it's been silent the whole trip?" Hutch continued. They looked at the screen THE OMAHA TIGER came across it in bright red letters. It looked to be the name of a film. The credits began to role, Starring Jo-Jo Carreros. "Carreros!" Starsky yelled. "He's the biggest hoodlum this side of the rockies! Why would he be in a film on TV? Anyway I thought he was **running**, hiding, he's one of our most wanted."

"I don't know Starsky but I think this whole thing is linked. The flight, the crew, the strange writings that I can see and you can't, the film and that disappearing stewardess. We gotta get help Starsky, but we can't do anything until we land"

Both detectives decided to settle back into their seats and behave as though it were a normal flight. Presently they landed in Florida. An announcement came through the cabin intercom, "Would all passengers please remain in their seats until the Captain has given clearance for you to disembark. Due to strikes in Orlando we need to remove all the baggage from the flight before we can allow passengers to alight."

Starsky and Hutch remained in their seats. Starsky was watching out of the window as the luggage was being unloaded. He saw a coffin being hauled into a waiting van. "No body in that one yet" he observed. "How'd you work that out?" asked Hutch. "Well it's not a coroners van meeting it, so it's not yet occupied." Mysteriously the stewardess re-appeared at that time, "You're correct." She said, "That is a **coffin for Starsky" **It was all both detectives could do not to respond but they decided to keep quiet. She chuckled as she walked away.

Eventually the captain said that all passengers could leave. He wished them a pleasant stay in Orlando and hoped they had all had a good flight, and he thanked them for flying with Bay City airlines.

Starsky and Hutch left the plane and arrived in the terminal. They decided to look for a telephone so that they could phone their Captain. Unfortunately there were none until after baggage claim. They re-claimed their bags and exited into the arrivals lounge. They were surprised to see a man waiting for them with their names on a board. He looked like a chauffeur. Starsky and Hutch went over to him. "Who are you?" Asked Hutch. "And how did you know we'd be coming?" The man introduced himself, "I am Clarence Bitman. I am a **Bounty Hunter** and I am here hoping to catch Jo-Jo Carreros. Your Captain tells me you may be able to help me."

_Twelve hours earlier……._

Starsky rolled over. Pretty soon he and Hutch were leaving for Orlando. He was hoping the flight would be uneventful and the holiday, just the rest that he and Hutch needed. The past few months had been tough. Starsky had fought his way back to fitness after being shot in an Italian restaurant and he was looking forward to a nice relaxing break away from the grime and filth of Bay City.


End file.
